We stayed in Phonsavon for about 3 days. The town Is pretty unexciting as far as towns go. Basically a long street of modernish buildings offering all sorts.

We stayed because we needed to. After a week pushing ourselves down to the border and crossing the border we needed a place we could just stay to unwind. We took it pretty chill. It mostly rained. A constant pattering turning the landscape into misery and mud.

Phonsavon is hailed as having beautiful scenery and the fields of pots. Large stone pots that were placed in fields somewhat sporadically. They were mined from nearby mountains.

This region is also contested as the number one ranking land area for the most ordinance dropped. There are numerous international firms still working to ensure the area is cleared up and that the human casualty element is dealt with. Farmer and other civilians are still injured today by unexploded ordinance.

We met a couple of expats working for an American firm in agriculture and an Australian woman working with an aid agency.

Blake ran into a British couple who we decided to ride with the next day to Luang Prabang. Rumoured to be a very desirable place. Another 250 k day of riding and it started out as expected with mechanical issues, and of course they were with Henry.

The mechanics got him running again. Carburettor issues. They also affixed a new kick start and clutch level. The kick start is in the wrong place and stuffs up my leg position when I’m riding.

We left at nearly midday and made luang after a long stretch by about 7ish.

Luang Prabang is amazing. I simply love it. Nestled along the mighty Mekong River it’s blend of colonial French architecture, small streets and alleys and Buddhist Wats almost makes you feel like your on the frontier.

There are night markets and food alleys, and the food, oh the food! Whole sides of chicken wrapped between bamboo shoots and fried over coals… Drooling right now writing about it and I’ve had three today!!! It’s fresh untouched natural chicken and boy is it good! But the other food here is also good, unlike Vietnam which has been inundated with sugar, here we can find fresh bread and well cooked tasty food. Even western food is well cooked enough to pass for home.

We visited the famous Waterfalls which were really something else. A 40 minute ride from the town these beautiful blue cascading pools can be found flowing from one to the next. As you walk up past these turquoise pools you finally reach the main falls and can even take a brutally steep ascent to the top to find the river and more pools and a view to top it all off.
These attraction, however, is spectacular and as such attracts a hefty number of tourists of all fashions every day. You can swim in all parts of the falls which is very pleasing. There is also the hidden and unexpected delight of a black bear conservation area.

Needless to say, Pigly had a blast!!!

I’m staying in the old town but even the outskirts are not without their charm. I find though that the Laotian people are very different from Vietnamese. I am a huge fan of Vietnam it’s culture and especially it’s people who I find incredibly resourceful and friendly. I’ve never felt unsafe in either of my two trips to Vietnam and I especially love the way the people there love westerners especially considering that they were effectively fighting us not too long ago, it amazes and perplexes me. The Laotian’s however are not nearly as friendly or welcoming.

However, that being said, I have spoken with many people who argue the opposite with me, it may simply be individual experience, or that Laotians don’t like me.

The biggest and most noticeable difference is that they use the old script language, which unlike Vietnamese which has been converted to the Roman alphabet, is simply unrecognisable or derivable.

We have been here now in Luang Prabang for 3 days and tomorrow I think we shall be moving on to the notorious town of Vang Vien. I need to keep moving but I may return here it has certainly captured my imagination.